Five Years
by pyxislynx
Summary: KAKASAKU Five years. Four rejections. One free dinner. "Naruto and Tsunade are going to kill me."
1. Chapter 1

**TITLE: **Five Years

**PAIRING:** kakashiXsakura

**TIMELINE/SPOILERS:** Shippuuden.

**WARNINGS:** none. a bit of drama LOL

**SUMMARY:** Five years. Four rejections. One free dinner. "Naruto and Tsunade are going to kill me."

**DISCLAIMER:** Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto and all related characters, etc etc etc.

**Last Edited:** April 20, 2009

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**Chapter 01**

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"Ne, Sakura,"

Said girl didn't bother to look up from her desk. She had missed dinner and breakfast, and she wasn't keen on missing her lunch as well. Only the fact that her blonde best friend had brought her lunch that she considered replying to her.

"Wha?" She mumbled through her mouthful of warm rice and breaded pork.

"Having an older guy as your lover must be really exciting, huh?"

The shintenshin user jumped from her seat and moved back, avoiding the bits of rice and pork that the pink-haired medic had coughed out. She gave a sound of disapproval as Sakura quickly took a swig from her drink.

"Don't tell me you fell in love with Asuma?!" Sakura said, looking at Ino with wide eyes. The man was married, for heaven's sake!

Ino looked back at her in disgust.

"First of all, ew. He smokes, and he's got that grizzly facial hair." She said, going back to her seat infront of Sakura's desk. "Secondly, I don't go for married men."

Sakura let out a sigh of relief, and started cleaning up her desk.

"And I'm not talking about me, you idiot, I'm talking about you!"

Sakura paused in mid-cleaning and looked back at Ino, her eyes wide open once more. What was she talking about?

"Don't look at me like that, Forehead, I know you and Kakashi have something going on. I can't believe you're hiding it from me!"

Sakura's jaw hanged even lower, and it seemed she had forgotten to breathe. Then, realizing she was talking to no other than Ino, probably Konoha's Gossip Queen, Sakura let out a hearty laugh.

"Alright, who said that?" She said, sitting back on her chair and bringing her bowl of lunch closer to herself, chopsticks poised in her hand. "Don't tell me you got that from the market?"

Sakura recalled coming across Team 7's leader at the market the day before, right before she went to her shift in the hospital. Since he didn't look like he was doing anything, she had dragged him around to help her carry her groceries. The green-covered porn never left his hand, but he still carried her groceries nonetheless, and saved her some time.

"Actually, I've heard some rumors from there, too." Ino said, nodding. "Anyway, don't try to fool me, Forehead, I've seen the way he looks at you! And sometimes I even see him standing outside our flower shop, and then poofing away before I could even call him inside!"

Sakura's laughter died completely as she stared back at Ino, who was looking at her with that familiar 'I know what's going on' gleam in her eyes. All of a sudden, it seemed like the air-conditioning in the room was off.

"Erm" Sakura tried to clear her throat. "You must be mistaken, Ino. Kakashi must be checking out what flowers to bring at the memorial, or he's waiting for someone or something…"

"Then how do you explain that look he gives you, huh? I've seen him do it during our combined teams' mission last week!"

Sakura tried to clear her throat once more. She had never seen Kakashi give her any kind of look except for pointed ones when she wouldn't listen, and that crinkled one when he was trying to make excuses at why he was late or when he would look up from that dratted porn. For the life of her, the only other look she could imagine Kakashi would make was anger or dead seriousness in the middle of a battle.

"Oh. My. God."

Sakura looked back at Ino, and then around her room. Since it was highly unlikely that something in her office would excite her best friend, she figured it was related to her misunderstanding with Kakashi's behavior.

"Sakura, you're not lying to me when you said you two aren't in a relationship, right?"

"… Right." Sakura said, not liking the way Ino was grinning rather manically.

"Then that means he still hadn't confessed yet!"

Sakura frowned and gave her friend a skeptical look.

"Look, Ino," She said, lowering her bowl of lunch to her lap. "Kakashi is _not_ in love with me, so go snoop on other people and bother them instead."

"Ara, Forehead, didn't you have a crush on him before?"

Sakura was suddenly glad she hadn't taken another bite of her lunch just yet. It was rather embarrassing to cough and sneeze out your chewed-up food.

"That was _five _years ago, Ino-pig. Don't bring up old issues again."

Suddenly, Sakura didn't want to continue her lunch. The memory of her liking Kakashi was something she didn't want to go back to. The first time she confessed to him back when she was a chuunin, he had only dismissed it as a trick to outsmart him to steal the green-covered book and burn it to ashes. The second time she tried, he had pretended to be asleep. The third time she tried, he finally listened to her, but dismissed the confession and told her, with that infamous eye-crinkle, that she was just being carried away, as she and Kakashi had always paired during missions while Naruto was paired with Sai. With full determination, she trained even harder, made herself seem matured enough for him, as it seemed their age gap was the primary reason Kakashi wasn't even considering the possibility of them being together. When she tried to confess to him one last time, even going as far as kissing him though that accursed cloth on his face, he told her, without batting an eye, that she and Naruto would definitely bring back Sasuke one day, and she wouldn't be so lonely anymore.

That was the last straw, and she was left regretting even thinking of confessing to the man. All the frustrations had helped her pass her jounin exam, though, she had to admit.

Five years had passed since then, and her relationship with Kakashi had been nothing else but friendly.

"Sakura, you haven't had a boyfriend. Since you don't like Sasuke-kun anymore and you refused to have anyone after Kakashi failure, don't you think it's time you try it with him again?"

Sakura shrugged. Although she didn't have any boyfriends, she _did_ go out on dates once in a while, which would occasionally be ruined by Naruto or Sai's presence, sometimes both. She tried to imagine going out with Kakashi, but it only left her sighing tiredly.

"I'm not going to go out with someone who rejected me _four times_ with no consideration whatsoever." She finally said, making Ino grunt in frustration. "And you might just be seeing things. You tend to do that when you get too excited."

Sakura jumped as her best friend slammed her palms on her desk. It bothered her more, however, to see that manic glint in her eyes once more.

"How about a bet?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. She suddenly felt like she was back in their genin days, when she and Ino would compete in anything.

"I'm not making any bets with you, Ino."

"Oh _really_?" Ino drawled in a sing-song voice. "Even when the winner gets four treats to a _full body spa_?"

Sakura's eyebrows twitched. Long hours in the hospital and heavy duty missions could really take its toll on one's body, and full body spas are perfect remedies for that.

"First of all," Sakura finally sighed. "What's the bet?"

"When you ask him on a date and he agrees, that's two full body spa treatments. If you kissed him and he kissed you back, that's another two full body spa treatments. AND here's the best deal—"

Sakura moved back in her seat, gulping. Maybe she should step back from the bet right then and there.

"If he goes for more than groping and kissing, you'll treat me at that new fancy café near our family's shop!"

Sakura sank in her chair. The first bet was acceptable, but the next two were a tad too much. She didn't feel like betting on kisses and… whatever else could happen.

That, and she really didn't want to get rejected again.

"I'm not making any bets, Ino, sorry."

Her blonde friend gave a sound of protest as Sakura placed her half-eaten lunch on her desk. Grabbing her medic cloak, she headed towards her office's door with the intention of going straight back to work.

"Hey, Forehead. Tell me something."

Sakura turned back at her friend, who was now looking at her intently.

"It hurt that much, huh?"

Sakura only gave her friend a grin.

"We have patients to look out for. We can't have them waiting, can we?"

O O O

Sakura could clearly see her frowning face at the glass display that held several kinds of cakes. She was really hungry for dinner, and she wanted to try eating in the new café that Ino had mentioned, but now that she was there, she just found out that she didn't have her wallet with her.

"Are you ordering anything, Miss?" The woman behind the counter asked, and Sakura shook her head regrettably.

"Sorry, I forgot my wallet."

Sighing dejectedly, Sakura stepped out of the café. She _could_ go back to the hospital to retrieve her wallet, but her stomach was already churning angrily.

"Yo."

Sakura glanced to her right and greeted the silver-haired jounin. Suddenly, her face broke into a relieved grin and she quickly grabbed on to her former sensei's arm before he could get away.

"Ne, Kakashi, aren't you hungry now?"

The man only looked at her questioningly.

"Well, it _is_ dinnertime…"

"Great! Treat me to dinner. You've always made us pay for your meals anyway."

The older jounin looked back at her quietly, seemingly weighing the pros and cons, and when Sakura wouldn't let go of his arm, he finally relented, making the girl's grin even wider.

"Thanks!" Sakura said, now pushing the man inside the café. "Actually I left my wallet, so don't you dare run away on me."

Kakashi only gave a defeated murmur as Sakura guided him to a table next to a wall.

"Don't you think eating at a barbeque restaurant would be better?" Kakashi said as a waitress handed them menus. Sakura ignored the complaint and began to peruse the list of heavy meals.

"Don't worry, Kakashi, they serve barbeque if you want them." She replied, taking note of ordering a bowl of warm soup and a large steak. "Besides, Ino said—"

_When you ask him on a date and he agrees, that's two full body spa treatments_.

Sakura nearly backed on her seat rather violently. Instead, she brought the menu closer to her rapidly reddening face, hiding it from view. Her heart started to pound rather fast in her chest, and it seemed that the air-conditioning in the café was busted as well.

"What did Ino say?" She heard Kakashi say, and Sakura had to take several deep breaths to compose herself.

"S-She said the food here is really good."

Without waiting for a reply, Sakura called on to a waitress and placed her order. Kakashi only ordered a bowl of noodles and coffee, and Sakura couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at him.

"You're finally not eating at Icharaku, yet you're ordering a noodle dish?"

Kakashi only shrugged, and Sakura decided not to bother anymore. Her heart was back to its normal rate right now, and she inwardly scolded herself for acting so stupidly. She just misunderstood the situation, how silly of her. It wasn't like she asked Kakashi to go on a date with her. She just asked him to treat her to dinner, just like how Naruto always asked Iruka to treat him several bowls of ramen.

"Ah, Kakashi," Sakura said, noticing something unusual. "You're not reading 'that' book?"

Kakashi looked down at his right hand and shrugged once more.

"I just finished reading it before I bumped into you."

Sakura only nodded, glad that at least she wouldn't be seen eating with someone who was openly reading porn.

Silence came in between the two, but Sakura didn't mind as Kakashi wasn't one to talk a lot.

Come to think of it, this would be the first time she would be eating alone with him.

"We _did_ once, while undercover at Grass."

Sakura looked back at Kakashi, confused.

"Before you took your jounin exams." Kakashi said, and Sakura was still confused. "We had a mission at Grass, and we ate at a restaurant where our targets were eating as well, while Naruto and Sai checked their hotel rooms."

Sakura felt her body had gone numb. Without realizing it, she had apparently thought out something aloud. Or she could have been muttering to herself and Kakashi heard her.

And how could Kakashi remember such a small thing like that?

_Anyway, don't try to fool me, Forehead, I've seen the way he looks at you!_

Sakura turned back on her seat in panic. No, Kakashi's famous for remembering things. He's the damn Copy-nin!

_'Calm down, and think nothing of it. You're being an idiot again, Sakura!'_

"Here are your orders, ma'am, sir."

Sakura turned back to their table and concentrated on the food before her. Kakashi didn't talk while eating, and therefore she would be left in peace with her dinner.

For now, she would concentrate on pleasing her empty stomach.

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"Nnn that was a great dinner!"

Kakashi only gave a short 'hn' as a reply as he kept his wallet back in his pocket. Sakura grinned at him as they walked on their way home.

"It feels nice to treat others, ne?"

"As long as they didn't eat food enough for two people."

Sakura frowned. It was true that she ate quite a lot, but that was because she had missed several meals already. Screw diet, she was hungry.

"Speaking of eating, I've never noticed you eating your food, but it's finished a few minutes later." Sakura said, looking at Kakashi's mask curiously. "Why do you keep that mask, anyway?"

Kakashi only shrugged, and much to Sakura's annoyance, took out a familiar green-covered book.

"You said you just finished reading it!"

"Doesn't mean I can't read it again."

Sakura frowned, but the man _had_ treated her to dinner, so she would let him off the hook for now, even when the people they passed by gave him and his book disapproving looks.

Sakura broke into a small smile. If this situation had happened years ago, back when she had fallen for the man now walking beside her, she would have been ecstatic. She would have been blushing, trying to control the pace of her heart, trying to calm down by taking several deep breaths, talking away just to distract herself and avoid being too self-conscious.

But now she had given up, and she couldn't feel any tension between them.

Unless she was suddenly reminded of Ino-pig's words.

'_Calm down, stupid Sakura! You've been rejected too many times already.'_

"Sakura."

Said girl stopped in her walking and looked back at her former sensei, who was standing infront of an all too familiar building.

Her apartment building.

"Oh." She said, laughing apologetically. "I guess this would be my stop. Thanks for the meal, Kakashi."

The man only gave her that crinkled eye look and went on his way.

_'I told you, Ino-pig,' _Sakura thought, going up her apartment building with a tired sigh._ 'That's the only look he ever gives me.'_

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: to be continued :

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**Author's Notes: **This is the one-shot I was talking about in 'Not Late'. They came out quite differently, ne?

This is supposed to be a one-shot, but I figured it was too long for a chapter and I didn't want people to get tired of reading LOL so I split it into two.


	2. Chapter 2

**TITLE: **Five Years

**PAIRING:** kakashiXsakura

**TIMELINE/SPOILERS:** Shippuuden.

**WARNINGS:** none. a bit of drama LOL

**SUMMARY:** Five years. Four rejections. One free dinner. "Naruto and Tsunade are going to kill me."

**DISCLAIMER:** Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto and all related characters, etc etc etc.

**Last Edited:** April 20, 2009

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**Chapter 02**

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"Sakura-chan! You're late!"

Sakura pushed away the hyperactive blonde as he tried to give her one of his bone-crushing hugs.

"Maybe she tried to put some effort on improving her looks." Sai, the socially-inept member of their team, greeted. "Too bad you still look as hideous as always, Hag."

"Thank you, Sai." Sakura greeted back, followed by a quick bash to the artist's head. "And I was only late for a few minutes. Kakashi won't be here until an hour later, anyway."

"Actually, I was here before all of you."

Sakura nearly jumped in surprise as the jounin waved from his perch on the bridge's wooden rail.

"Alright," He said, his eyes never leaving the porn's pages. "Time to head to the training ground."

While the three followed Team 7's leader, Naruto leaned towards Sakura with a careful glance at Kakashi.

"Ne, Sakura-chan, isn't this really weird?" He whispered, and Sai looked at them curiously. "Kakashi has never been on time. What if that person over there is just a clone?"

Sakura looked at their leader's back, thinking. It _was_ unusual for him to be on time. Maybe he finally realized that they were sick and tired of waiting?

"Gaah! Naruto, what are you doing?!"

Sakura quickly knocked away the large rock that Naruto had acquired from the ground.

"But Sakura-chan, what if he's just a clone? What if he's an enemy?" Naruto whined, clearly giving an excuse to do some trick on their superior, who hadn't bothered to check what was going on with his teammates.

"Shut up, Naruto. Even Sai doesn't think he's a fake. Right, Sai—"

Sakura gave a shriek and crumpled the scroll where Sai had already drawn several of his lions.

"Sakura-chaaaan," Naruto whined once more. "Kakashi's clearly out of it today. I'm sure we could land a decent hit on him without even trying too hard."

"Shut up, Naruto!"

Sakura stomped away from her scheming teammates, grumbling angrily to herself. If Kakashi got pissed off, it wasn't them who would wholly regret it. She was often paired with him to spar, and whenever Naruto and Sai would do something they shouldn't have, she would be affected with not only the more intense level of training that Kakashi would employ, but also she was the one who would have to spar with the inwardly sadistic man. It was not too long ago when Naruto accidentally dropped Kakashi's precious book in the river, and Kakashi had them running around Konoha 200 times, and her usual spar with him became a highly dangerous game of cat and mouse and she had to resort to using a soldier pill to match up to his speed.

Life was really unfair, at times.

"Alright," Kakashi finally said as they reached their usual training grounds. "We'll do something different today. Sai, you're sparring with Sakura. Naruto, you're going to fight me."

"Alright!" Naruto bounded, ready for a day of training. Sai faced Sakura, who looked back at him wearily.

"_What_?" She said, already expecting what was going to come out from the artist's mouth.

"I finally get to fight someone with a dick."

Sai moved a bit to his back as a kunai— courtesy of Naruto— sailed past him, barely missing his nose. Sakura gave him a wide grin as she snapped her black gloves on.

"Unfortunately, Sai, praises won't make me go easy on you."

* * *

Sakura stared miserably at the small bento that was to be her three hours late lunch. Naruto's clumsiness had attacked once more, and this time he made a large hole in the middle of Kakashi's Icha Icha Tactics when the jinchuriki dried to stab him from below, hitting Kakashi's pack instead, where he had always kept the damn book. Kakashi became ruthless once more, making them run four hundred laps around Konoha this time.

"Stupid Naruto, this is entirely your fault." Sakura grumbled, poking at the little octopus-shaped hotdog cutlets in her lunch box.

Not far from her, sporting a large lump on his head that she had given him oh so graciously, Naruto laid on his back, his own lunch pack finished. Sai, sitting on top of a large rock, was sketching as he always did after eating his food.

"ANBU training is much worse, don't worry." Sai said, giving them his usual grin. Sakura gave him a withering glare.

"I'll give you kage-level treatment if you don't shut up, you miserable sadist." She grumbled, resuming in poking her food once more before finally eating them.

Sakura had barely finished eating her food when Kakashi told them it was time to resume their training, only this time Sai was facing him while she sparred with Naruto, who started looking excited as if he had never ran four hundred laps around Konoha.

"Been a while since we sparred, ne, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura gave Naruto a wide grin. The jinchuriki flinched.

"Naruto-_kun_," She said, clenching her fists readily. "Looks like I'll get to punish you for making us run around Konoha like hell. Isn't that nice?"

* * *

After an hour and a half of sparring, Kakashi called out to his team members and announced that they had had enough training for that day. Sakura had barely registered what he said when everyone started to head out of the training grounds.

Normally when they shifted partners in sparring, they would make sure everyone had the chance to fight every member of the team. Why did he skip on another round?

"Ne, Kakashi," Sakura said, falling behind with their leader and leaving Naruto and Sai to bicker by themselves. "We didn't do the last round of sparring."

Kakashi gave Sakura his usual crinkled expression and resumed looking infront of him, focusing on nothing in particular.

"I thought running around Konoha six hundred times today was enough."

Sakura frowned. It made sense, but it still baffled her as to why they didn't stick to their usual rules. Trainings were meant to increase in difficulty with each session.

Maybe he was really just being considerate for once. Or he was already itching to go back to his apartment to read on his porn.

"Kakashi, one would think that you care for your porn more than your friends."

"Really?"

Sakura sighed. He was clearly not listening to her. He often did that ever since she was a genin.

"You'd probably say 'Hm' even when I tell you I really appreciate your treat last night, and when I tell you I have a copy of Icha Icha Tactics you'd only give me a surprised look."

Sakura glanced at Kakashi, and received an even more annoying response.

He wasn't there anymore.

O O O

The next day, the kunoichi was pissed. Rejected, ignored, left out. What else would the man do?

"I told you you're wrong, Ino-pig. There's no way he likes me the way you're implying."

Ino settled the newly cut tiger lilies in their container and headed back to her place behind the flower shop's counter.

"But he still had dinner with you." She said, now checking a list of flowers and their corresponding prices. "If we had that bet I'd won two full body spas already."

"You didn't win anything, Ino-pig, because that wasn't really a date."

"A man and a woman eating together at a café. How the hell could you not call that a date?"

"You're generalizing the concept too much."

"And besides, he didn't refuse you."

"That's because I didn't let go of his arm. I was really hungry that time."

"Kakashi, can't get away? Don't make me laugh, Forehead, even he could get away from your death-grip."

Sakura frowned. Well it was partly true, but he most likely didn't try to escape because at least he was only treating one person to dinner. And he didn't say he was doing anything else anyway.

"Have you tried kissing him?"

Sakura gave Ino a disapproving look.

"You expect me to go up to him and kiss him through his cloth for no reason whatsoever?"

"You already did that before, why not do it again?"

Sakura felt her face heating up.

"That was a different circumstance."

Ino gave an annoying tutting noise and kept the pricelist at the cabinet below the counter.

"Try surprising him. If you don't get a reaction from him then I won't bug you about it again."

Sakura didn't say anything, and just left the flower shop before Ino could say anything else.

_'Stupid Ino, how could I kiss Kakashi all of a sudden?'_

Kicking a small pebble infront of her, Sakura continued walking down the street. Perhaps her shishou's remedy for everything would help her relieve the stress she was subjecting herself into.

* * *

"And he's supposed to have rejected me FOUR times! Ne? Ne? So it's impossible, right?"

The barkeep only nodded as he poured the inebriated kunoichi another glass of drink. Sakura had a decent tolerance on alcohol, as her shishou had taught her to be strong enough to still be able to move and think decently even after several bottles of sake. Sakura was pretty good in holding alcohol, except she got louder and more confident, just like most people when imbibed with drinks.

"Stupid Kakashi," Sakura finally mumbled, resting her head on the bar's countertop. "Actually, it's me who's stupid. Ne? Ne?"

The barkeep only nodded at her once more. He was long used to depressed females shouting and mumbling their sorrows, and nothing got more decent— not to mention safe— reactions than a silent nod.

Sakura grinned lopsidedly. It was true. It was her who was being stupid. Ino had said some things, and she had actually taken it seriously. Maybe she really hadn't moved on like she expected…

"Ah, wait—"

"She's a friend, don't worry."

Sakura looked up at the barkeep, who was looking at someone behind her. Frowning at the hands that gripped her shoulders firmly, Sakura sat up and glared at the man behind her, and her expression changed when she saw that it was Kakashi.

Look at the devil, coming up behind her when she was talking about him.

"Put everything on my tab." She heard Kakashi say, and Sakura wanted to punch the man. She could pay for her own drinks, thank you very much.

"You're welcome."

Sakura stared at Kakashi, who had proceeded to carry her on his back. She should really exercise control on her mouth. She was slowly having the habit of thinking things aloud without even realizing it.

"Yes, you should. People would think there's something wrong with you when you're mumbling things to yourself."

Sakura inwardly cursed. Maybe she shouldn't think at all.

Fat chance.

Recalling Ino's speculations, Sakura decided to ask the man. After all, it was most unlikely he would leave her all of a sudden just to avoid a question.

Sakura frowned. Maybe it would be better if she didn't ask.

"Ne, Kakashi?"

"Hm."

"Ino-pig said something funny the other day. You know, the day when we ate at the café?"

"Yes, I know when the 'other day' was."

Sakura ignored the jibe and continued, her head lolling on Kakashi's shoulder. He actually smelled nice…

"Ino-pig ridiculously thought we were lovers. Could you believe that?"

Sakura gave a mocking laugh as Kakashi continued walking towards her apartment's direction.

"She said you were giving me some kind of look, and that you were sometimes standing near the flower shop, looking like you were going to buy flowers."

Sakura gave a bitter laugh, her forehead buried on Kakashi's shoulder.

"You never gave me any kind of look, except for that annoying grinning one." She mumbled, not caring that she was actually complaining to the person in topic already. "And you were just probably thinking of buying flowers for the memorial, right? Of course that's right. It's really impossible."

Sakura gripped on to the back of Kakashi's jounin vest tighter.

"It's really annoying, you know? I did my best, but you just dismissed me. It really hurt me back then. And now, right when I thought I didn't care anymore, right when I thought I wouldn't bother anymore—"

Sakura slapped a hand on her forehead, her face turning a bright shade of red. As Kakashi deposited her at her doorstep, she gave out a nervous laugh, and forced it out louder into the night. Ino-pig had a better sense of choice in men.

"Ne, Kakashi, I bet you wouldn't feel anything if I kissed you."

Sakura knew she could hold her alcohol well, but even she was susceptible to its dumbing effects, just like how her shishou was. Perhaps it was not only the medical and fighting skills that she had learned. Her shishou also had bad luck with men, and she grew old without even having a lover.

It really felt odd, kissing someone through a cloth, but nonetheless she could still feel his lips, and she had to hold on to Kakashi's vest to keep herself steady. The man had gone still, and when she was sure nothing else was going to happen, Sakura moved away.

Kakashi only looked back at her blankly.

"You should go and get some sleep." He said, and he was gone before she could take in what he had just said.

She really should stay away from alcohol. It made her think back on things that had happened, and it had always brought her to tears.

O O O

The next day, although she really didn't want to attend their scheduled training session, Naruto's begging and pleading had forced her to come. The absence of one made the remaining members' training ever excruciatingly harder, and Naruto, who had promised to take out Hinata for dinner, definitely wanted training to end on time.

Sakura sighed. There was still no sign of Kakashi at their meeting place, and Sakura didn't know whether to be glad or to feel worse. Being trained by her shishou to tolerate alcohol, she could clearly remember what had happened the night before, even the definitely mindless action that had made her a ball of depressed drunkard on her bed.

"He's really taking so long." Naruto grumbled, and at that same moment, the ever late team leader finally arrived.

Naruto resumed complaining about their leader's tardiness, while Sai made some off-hand comment the pissed the jinchuriki even more. No one noticed that they lacked the usual manpower to scold the oldest jounin, and Sakura was inwardly grateful for that. Perhaps she would spar with Sai and Naruto again that day and be ignored by Kakashi once more.

"You! Now I'm really pissed off!"

"Pretty surprising to see you move so enthusiastically when you have nothing dangling between your legs, Dickless."

Sakura looked up at her two teammates and frowned.

"Ne, Naruto," She said, trying to calm down her blonde teammate. "How about we start sparring together?"

"Sorry Sakura-chan, but I just _have_ to teach this bastard a lesson!"

"From what I have gathered, you almost failed the Academy, didn't you, Naruto-kun?"

"That's it! You're dead!"

Sakura watched hopelessly as Naruto started with his ever-present Kage Bunshin and started all-out attacking Sai.

Plan B. Pretend nothing happened.

"Looks like we're stuck together again, ne, Kakashi-sensei?"

Sakura nearly flinched as Kakashi didn't respond with that eye crinkle and instead, just looked back at her quietly. She could feel her own gut sinking as she dolefully donned on her gloves, hoping against hope that Kakashi wouldn't bring up what happened the night before.

Their spar had started out the usual way— kunai thrown, then used in close combat, followed by taijutsu, and then some ninjutsu. No words were exchanged, and Sakura found it even harder to land a hit on Kakashi. It was starting to frustrate her, as he just kept on managing to evade and block her attacks, while she could barely dodge any that came from him. He was undoubtedly faster than her, but slowly it was beginning to look as if he was dead serious in the fight.

As they continued their sparring in the forest, with Sakura having no other choice but to fall back lest she wanted to get hit, she was reminded of the time when Kakashi had simulated an assassination ploy with her as the target. It was definitely not sitting well with her, especially with Kakashi having that determined look in his eyes.

It suddenly felt like a real battle zone.

"Gaah!"

Sakura grunted in pain as she landed bodily to the forest floor. She didn't expect the attack to come full-front, and before she could register that the Copy-nin was already above her, she was already hurtling down to the ground.

She was just recovering from the attack when she was suddenly pinned to the ground, an expressionless silver-haired jounin looking down at her with a kunai drawn to her neck.

"N-ne, K-Kakashi," Sakura started, clearly feeling uncomfortable and getting even more nervous by the second. "I fold, okay? Let's go back to Naruto and Sai, they must be done by now—"

"You can remember what happened."

Sakura inwardly winced. She tried to look confused, but she knew Kakashi would see through it. Only an idiot would think they could get away with lying at the infamous Copy-nin.

"I'm sorry." She finally said, sighing. She really shouldn't have listened to Ino. "I won't do it again. Just ignore it. I just got carried away—"

Sakura bit her lip. No. She shouldn't give in again. God knows how many times she had cried her heart out. She was older now, damnit, and she was supposed to have moved on.

Really, she shouldn't, but apparently, she had more to give.

"We really should go back." Sakura said, her voice breaking. She tried to wipe her tears away, but they were just as stubborn as she was. "Ne, Kakashi, would you mind moving away? I need to clear out my eyes and—"

So that's how bare lips felt. It was much more pleasant than with the thin cloth on, and much more demanding.

Maybe Kakashi had been drinking as well, and thought of doing stupid things, just like her.

"Naruto and Tsunade are going to kill me."

Sakura held on tightly to Kakashi's jounin vest, not minding his weight over her own body. She still hadn't seen his mask-less face, but it didn't matter much, as he was busy burying his face on her neck.

"Ne, Kakashi?"

The man gave a low mumble on her skin, his chest rumbling though his vest.

"If you dare dismiss me again, I'll be the first in line to kill you."

Five years, four rejections.

Maybe Kakashi was a late bloomer, just like herself.

.

* * *

: END :

* * *

**Author's Notes:** I created 'Not Late' because I wanted to use the line "Naruto and Tsunade are going to kill me." I didn't get to use the line there, though, LOL

Thinking of titles is really hard... Anyway, I hope I didn't blow the ending again XD


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